Rwanda National Police

In a bid to further fight and prevent abuse of narcotic drugs, Police in Kirehe District, over the weekend, reached out to students of Gatore Secondary School and sensitized them on the dangers of abusing the psychotropic substances.

Students of Gatore, recently formed two anti-crime clubs to specifically raise awareness and debate on dangers of drug abuse as well as child pregnacies.

There are over 2000 anti-crime clubs across the country, majority in schools.

While addressing over 800 students of Gatore Secondary School, Inspector of Police (IP) Gahigi Habimana, the District Community Liaison Officer (DCLO) focused mainly on narcotic drugs that are common in Kirehe and in the country in general.

He cited cannabis, illicit gins in different brands such as kanyanga and others packed in banned plastic bags as well as locally made illicit brew as some of the common psychotropic substances.

Kirehe is also mapped as one of the major transit routes for traffickers of cannabis from the neighboring Tanzania through river kagera and other porous borders.

Rwanda and Tanzania police marine units are currently engaged in joint operations against drug dealers in River Kagera, which is parts of cross border cooperation between the two friendly forces.

"The young people are the majority affected by drugs; some of the students have ended up becoming addicts are cutting their education dreams short," CIP Gahigi told the students.

Statistics indicate that 18 percent of all the 3941 cases recorded by the Police last year were related to drugs.

The report further reports also show that about a total of 4149 people were arrested in drug related crimes in the same period, with over 71 percent of them aged between 18 and 35 years.

"The country needs an educated, healthy and focused generation free from drugs, and that's why we are here to remind you of your value to the security and development of this country. Don't abuse drugs; report anyone you suspect to be the dealers, but also report abusers in your school and communities so that they are rehabilitated," the DCLO told the students.

Between 2010 and 2015, the Neuro-psychiatric Hospital of Ndera received 1432 patients with mental illness caused by use of drugs, according to statistics from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).

The number increased to 2804 in 2016 but recorded a slight decrease to 1960 last year. Huye Isange Rehabilitation Centre received 209 cases, last year.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) and other government institutions are cuurently engaged in a holistic approach against drugs, which include operations to break chains of supply, raising awareness to prevent new users and identifying and rehabilitating addicts.

The headmaster ofGatore Secondary School, Job Twagirayezu, also said that thw school will use the students' established anti-crime clubs to educate all students to ensure that they all get on board to fight the vice.